‘Survivor 45’ Episode 5 Recap: “I Don’t Want To Be The Worm”

Reba

It’s tense back at camp, with Dee having voted for Sifu. She still wanted to stick with that plan, but the rest of her group gave in to Sean’s wishes. Dee tries to pass of the Sifu vote as Sean. But Sifu reveals Sean’s parting words to him were that he did not vote for Sifu. The three girls are stick with the story, and Sifu has to decide who he believes. Right now, it sure seems like he believes Sean, but he can’t tell who of the three girls voted for him.

The Reba girls bash Sean on the beach. They believe Sean did tell Sifu, and Dee says “No I respect him even less.” I love this. They were doing him a favor when they were under no obligation to do so, and he still decided to (potentially) blow up their game.

Sifu shows us that he has made a fake idol, that he’s spent the last several days making. He tells Dee he has an advantage, and she guess an idol. He doesn’t confirm, but just says “Shhhh.” But here’s the thing. At least Dee and Julie know Austin found the Reba idol. They should know it’s highly unlikely Sifu found a second idol at their camp.

J. Maya thinks Sifu believes she was the one who voted for him. She decides to lean into it, and tell Sifu it was her vote. She’s going to try to pretend she’s on the outs with Dee and Julie, and will hopefully get Sifu on her side. Dee and Julie start to toy around with switching things up and voting J instead. She’s been on the bottom, and is much less valuable in challenges than Sifu. They see strong arguments for and against both options.

Belo

The Belo gang is complaining about food. Not in a whiny way, just in a “we are hungry and want to eat” type of way. Kendra even tries to eat a worm, though she can’t get it down.

Drew and Brando bond over something awesome: Pokemon! Drew plays competitively, Brando still plays Pokemon GO. Those two and Emily further their bond over being nerds. They discuss forming a nerd alliance. Brando says “Nerds never go far in this game. I’d like to change that.” Drew doesn’t buy into it, but then tells Brando this? Why? Why would you do that? Drew had playing a solid game so far, but this is just a silly, illogical decision.

Lulu

In a scary moment, Jake collapses again, and gets back up right away. But he says he passed out. Kellie, a nurse, tries to reassure him that the most likely reasoning is low blood sugar. That his body just couldn’t take it and he passed out. We get some background on Jake, who overcame a binge eating problem not too long before coming on Survivor. He’s proud of what he’s been able to accomplish, but it makes it that much more frustrating that he’s worked so hard on his health, and that’s the thing that might be failing him out on the island.

Katurah comes back from the water well to find everyone else had left. She takes the unexpected opportunity to start looking for an idol. She doesn’t get a chance to look for long, as the rest of the tribe comes up on her, all seeing what she was doing. Kaleb tried to do her a solid by calling out her name so she could stop looking before the rest saw her. Good effort, good idea, but just didn’t work out.

Kaleb has been working the one-on-on relationships, to a lot of success. The one person he’s struggled connecting with is Kellie. So he tells her about Sabiyah’s idol, and it does seem to immediately strengthen the bond.

Katurah thinks Kaleb might be starting to come around to her side of thinking regarding Bruce. He sees Bruce for how much he likes to be in control. Kaleb is playing the role of the loyal soldier, so that when the time comes for him to turn on Bruce, Bruce won’t see it coming.

Immunity Challenge

One at a time, three level obstacle course, colleting keys, once three players are through, remaining palyer uses key to release long hook to release sand bags, fire sand bags and three targets

One at a time, they run through a big, three-level obstacle course, collecting keys along the way. Once three players are through, the remaining player uses the keys to release a long hook, used to get their sand bags. First two tribes to fire their sand bags and knock down three targets win immunity plus reward. The first tribe to finish wins 10 fresh fish, second place five fish.

Reba finishes first, with Lulu coming in second, sending Belo to Tribal Council.

Gross, another journey. J goes from Reba, and they choose Kellie from Lulu and Austin from Belo.

Journey

The three hike to the top of a mountain to find their choice: Food or the Amulets. Majority rules. The Amulets suck. They must be played with all Amulets remaining in the game, meaning they would have to work together. They also change their power depending on how many are still in the game. Three=extra vote, 2=steal vote, 1=idol. Austin correctly wants to take the sandwiches. The Amulets don’t actually offer that much power until their is just one left. It incentives them to vote each other out. J wants to take the Amulets.

Kellie ultimately sides with J, and Austin – once again correctly – is quick to jump on board, agreeing to form an “alliance” with the other two. But he knows this is more a declaration of war rather than the forming of an alliance. Austin is now making it his goal to take the other two out and get himself an idol.

Pre-Tribal

Belo is very agreeable, deciding to give everyone the opportunity to have private talks with everyone else. Kendra and Emily talk first, with Kendra trying to pin the target on Drew. Brando offers Drew his Shot in the Dark if he will vote Kendra over him. Drew says it’s not necessary, while Brando tells in a confessional that it’s all a ruse. But Drew doesn’t believe him, with how easily he rolled over.

But Brando tells Emily that the Kendra idea was pitched by Drew. And she believes Brando, putting Drew on thin ice. So Emily talks to Drew about this and Drew tries to defend himself, telling Emily Brando is lying and that he trusts and wants to work with Emily.

Austin tells a partial truth. He says they had a choice between sandwiches and performing a challenge to win an advantage, and that they failed at the challenge. He tells Drew the truth, who then fills Austin in on how they lost Emily. Austin does decide to tell Emily about the Amulet, in the hopes of swaying her.

On their side, though, are advantages, Drew has Safety Without Power, and Austin has his idol. It is, however, a one-time use idol, but one that he can extend by giving up his vote. But then he also has the Goodwill Advantage, which would restore that lost vote.

Tribal Council

Drew does not play his Safety Without Power. Austin sacrifices his vote to extend his idol, and then uses his Goodwill Advantage to get that vote right back.

Emily sides with Austin and Drew, sending Brando out of the game.

I’m a big fan of the Austin-Drew-Emily trio, and I would love to see them go far in the game. But the most important thing is nobody quit this week! Let’s keep the streak going!

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